Rooster Dance Behavior

[The Dim Side]

Hello! I have a cockerel who's about 12 weeks old. He came with the meat birds we had gotten and ended up being the one male out of 30. We're keeping him (and a few girls as layers) since we sadly lost our other rooster to illness a couple months ago. So I've been trying to be affectionate with him to see if I can get him to not see me as a threat and attack, lol. It worked with my geese (my ganders love being held and "hugging" me back with their necks/heads, lol), so I figured I'd try it similarly with the cockerel.

And I'm not sure how to describe the behavior, but it's the little dance that a rooster does around a hen on one side. My previous rooster would hold out his wing a little as he danced. My new cockerel is starting to do it a bit but without the wing being held out yet. I've read that it can be for courtship, dominance, or maybe just attention. But I noticed he's sorta doing it to me when I go up to him, or at least hold my hand out to him. So I was wondering if anyone has ideas on why he's doing with that to me. Is he trying to show dominance as he's getting older, or is it a friendly gesture?

He hasn't tried attacking yet, but since he's only 12 weeks old, he's still maturing and doesn't have all that testosterone in him yet, I suppose, lol.

 

[Mrs. K]

What kind of meat birds? I am assuming not the Cornish cross as they don't live real long.

Because you are posting here, I think you are picking up vibes that this might not be good. TRUST THE VIBES.

Some people think, let's make a pet, and people will swear by that. Others think, no pet, needs to respect me and give me space, and they swear by that. Totally opposite advice.

I think that some roosters are wonderful, some are so so, ok. and some are a nightmare waiting to happen. The longer I am in this game the more positive I am that you get a good rooster by not keeping a rotten rooster, and a lot of roosters are rotten, and the kind of rooster you get, well that is the luck of the draw. Cockerels are a crapshoot.

Mrs K

 

[The Dim Side]

What kind of meat birds? I am assuming not the Cornish cross as they don't live real long.

Because you are posting here, I think you are picking up vibes that this might not be good. TRUST THE VIBES.

Some people think, let's make a pet, and people will swear by that. Others think, no pet, needs to respect me and give me space, and they swear by that. Totally opposite advice.

I think that some roosters are wonderful, some are so so, ok. and some are a nightmare waiting to happen. The longer I am in this game the more positive I am that you get a good rooster by not keeping a rotten rooster, and a lot of roosters are rotten, and the kind of rooster you get, well that is the luck of the draw. Cockerels are a crapshoot.

Mrs K

He's a Rhode Island Red, so a dual purpose bird, growing a lot more slowly than other dedicated meat birds. (We've also never had meat birds before, so emotionally, it's difficult for me, and I just want to keep them all. XD) The photo is from about a week ago, so he's a little bigger than this already.

I actually don't think I'm picking up vibes yet, that's why it feels like it could go either way at this point. It's just I'm wary because my last rooster was fine with me for a long while but got more aggressive to my fiance first. And then eventually he got mean to both of us. He used to fight with my gander when they were let out of their pens, but the tables turned once the gander had a son, lol. The son is the biggest goose of the four of them now, too.

So the rooster had chilled out some after that, and I would catch him and hold him to my side when he misbehaved as well, and he'd calm down after that. He was overall great with his flock, protective, and I loved him. Just sometimes he was a d*ck to others, haha.

I was just curious if there's a way to tell how the new one is feeling. The only time he's nipped a bit when I go to pick him up is if it's too fast, I think. The girls do it, too, from just being startled and wary of humans. If I approach him more slowly and talk to him as I pick him up, he's been fine with it. He just likes to do that dance a little each time I'm there, lol. He definitely doesn't like being held as much when my fiance or my dad go to hold him. He doesn't like being held for very long with me either, but he freaks out pretty quickly with the others.

 

[FrostRanger]

Hmm, are they heritage rhode island reds or production rhode island reds? I suppose it works although they certainly wouldn't be my first choice of meat bird....

Anyways, the wing dancing certainly raises a red flag for me. I'd pick him up and carry him every time he dances but I'd consider it an early warning sign of worse to come. If he starts attacking cull immediately

If you really want a rhode island red rooster, get a heritage rhode island red preferably from a breeder who culls for human aggression. Hatchery quality production reds are regarded as some of the most human aggressive roosters. Does that mean they're all mean? Absolutely not, there are plenty who are very nice boys. However, know the deck isn't stacked in your favor with them as far as temperment

 

[The Dim Side]

Hmm, are they heritage rhode island reds or production rhode island reds? I suppose it works although they certainly wouldn't be my first choice of meat bird....

Anyways, the wing dancing certainly raises a red flag for me. I'd pick him up and carry him every time he dances but I'd consider it an early warning sign of worse to come. If he starts attacking cull immediately

If you really want a rhode island red rooster, get a heritage rhode island red preferably from a breeder who culls for human aggression. Hatchery quality production reds are regarded as some of the most human aggressive roosters. Does that mean they're all mean? Absolutely not, there are plenty who are very nice boys. However, know the deck isn't stacked in your favor with them as far as temperment

Allegedly, they're heritage, but I think they were purchased from like Rural King or something. So I have doubts about the actual breed. It also wasn't our choice, my fiancé's brother and wife were the ones who got them. We're just raising them on our property and then splitting half with them, lol.

I guess we'll just keep an eye out for him then! See how things go over the next few months as he gets older.

 

[FrostRanger]

Sounds good, let us know how he turns out!

 

[FrostRanger]

Also, in the future, if they're wanting to go the route of using nontypical breeds as meat birds, Meyer does have a fry pan special which is all cockerels. I forget the exact price, but I think it's only like a buck something per bird. Otherwise, you can't beat Cornish crosses as far as meat production goes

 

[ChicNmom]

He like you. He thinks you're his girlfriend. If he starts bringing you presents like a stick or a rock don't accept it.

I've had a few boys do that to me and then they outgrow it. Out of the 7 roosters I've had only one turned out bad.

 

[SamLockwood]

Hello! I have a cockerel who's about 12 weeks old. He came with the meat birds we had gotten and ended up being the one male out of 30. We're keeping him (and a few girls as layers) since we sadly lost our other rooster to illness a couple months ago. So I've been trying to be affectionate with him to see if I can get him to not see me as a threat and attack, lol. It worked with my geese (my ganders love being held and "hugging" me back with their necks/heads, lol), so I figured I'd try it similarly with the cockerel.

And I'm not sure how to describe the behavior, but it's the little dance that a rooster does around a hen on one side. My previous rooster would hold out his wing a little as he danced. My new cockerel is starting to do it a bit but without the wing being held out yet. I've read that it can be for courtship, dominance, or maybe just attention. But I noticed he's sorta doing it to me when I go up to him, or at least hold my hand out to him. So I was wondering if anyone has ideas on why he's doing with that to me. Is he trying to show dominance as he's getting older, or is it a friendly gesture?

He hasn't tried attacking yet, but since he's only 12 weeks old, he's still maturing and doesn't have all that testosterone in him yet, I suppose, lol.

The "rooster" dance can mean a couple different things. If they do a half circle with one wing out, usually while stopping to sweep a foot towards the other bird or person, it's a herding gesture.

If they do a full circle with the wing out, it's a mating dance. I've seen hens reciprocate that version of the dance.

If he does a half circle or full circle around you without much of a wing-dip or leg-sweep, it's likely just flock-bonding behavior. I have a blue cuckoo maran rooster that will greet me by walking a circle around me, chattering the whole time. He's over a year old and he has never shown any human-aggressive tendencies.

Borderline-aggressive behavior is things like kicking or stamping a foot in your general direction, or they'll do what sort of looks like a chest-bump (which is him trying to startle you and get you to run away).

They'll also exhibit behaviors like hanging back and glaring at you, other times you'll catch them out of the corner of your eye rushing at you in the "angry turkey" posture (head down, wings low, tail fanned out), but stopping and assuming a normal posture when you turn in their direction. This can be him putting on a show for the hens, or sizing you up for a surprise attack.

 

[The Dim Side]

He like you. He thinks you're his girlfriend. If he starts bringing you presents like a stick or a rock don't accept it.

I've had a few boys do that to me and then they outgrow it. Out of the 7 roosters I've had only one turned out bad.

What would happen if I accept it? He does keep pretending to find food and stuff when getting close to me, he did pick up a stick and drop it back down just a few minutes ago, lol.